Means for securing hair pieces and the like to the head and a method of using same

ABSTRACT

An improved means for securing wigs, wiglets and the like to the head of the user and a method of using such means. The improved means are designed to secure the hair piece more firmly to the head while at the same time affording increased comfort to the user. In one embodiment, the improved means are secured to the head by working the hair of the user into a plurality of U-shaped hooking members to thereby provide a firm bond between said means and the hair. In an alternate embodiment, the improved means is held in place by tufting at least one, and generally a plurality, of locks of hair in slits provided therefor.

United States Patent [191 Wilson [54] MEANS FOR SECURING HAIR PIECES AND THE LIKE TO THE HEAD AND A METHOD OF USING SAME [76] Inventor: Josie Dianne Wilson, P.0. Boar 149,

Winnsboro, La. 71295 [22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 90,360

[52] U.S. Cl. ..l32/46 R [51] Int. Cl. ..A45d 8/00 [58] Field of Search ..l32/46, 9, 53, 54, 49, 7, 148;

[ 51 Apr. 3, 1973 1,437,440 12/1922 Pentecost ..l32/46R Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeill Attorney-Wayne Hoover 57 ABSTRACT An improved means for securing wigs, wiglets and the like to the head of the user and a method of using such means. The improved means are designed to secure the hair piece more firmly to the head while at the same time affording increased comfort to the user. In one embodiment, the improved means are secured to the head by working the hair of the user into a plurality of U-shaped hooking members to thereby provide a firm 'bond between said means and the hair. In an alternate embodiment, the improved means is-held in place by tufting at least one, and generally a plurality, of locks of hair in slits provided therefor.

5 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEBAPR 3 I973 SHEET 1 []F 2 INVENTOR JOSIE DIANNE WILSON a) (/Zm/(A/ PATENTEDAPR 3 I975 sum 2 OF 2 FIG.

Fl G l6 JOSIE DIANNE WILSON FIG.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY MEANS FOR SECURING HAIR PIECES AND THE LIKE TO THE HEAD AND A METHOD OF USING SAME BACKGROUND This invention relates to hair pieces and to an improved method of securing such pieces to the head. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved means for securing wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head and to a method of using said means.

As is well known, the use of wigs, wiglets, and the like, has increased appreciably in recent years. This increase has, of course, been due to the many advantages offered by such hair pieces in the areas of convenience and appearance and has been realized notwithstanding the fact that prior art methods of securing such hair pieces to the head do not afford any appreciable comfort to the user or permit the hair piece to be styled, as by brushing or combing, while upon the head. This latter disadvantage does, of course, limit the number of different hair styles which may be worn as well as the manner in which the styling may be accomplished.

In this regard, several methods have been proposed, heretofore, for securing wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head of the user. For the most part, these prior art methods involve the use of hair pins, bobby pins, clips, combs and related devices, either alone or in combination with other means such as Velcro tape to secure the hair piece to the head of the user. These methods have not, however, proven completely successful, principally because the weight of the hair piece is supported at isolated points. This, in turn, may, and often does, cause the hair of the user to be pulled at these points. The extent of the ensuing discomfort will, of course, vary, depending principally upon the number of points employed and the weight of the hair piece being supported. Moreover, further discomfort may be experienced by the user if the hair piece is permitted to slip, thus causing the free ends of the means employed to secure the hair piece to scrape the scalp.

As will be readily apparent the use of wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces could be further increased if the same could be secured to the head firmly enough to permit the hair piece to be styled while in place. Moreover, the use of such hair pieces could be even further increased if a suitable, comfortable means for securing said hair, pieces to the head could be developed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved means for securing hair pieces, such as wigs, wiglets, and the like, to the head. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved means for securing wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head, which means secure the hair piece firmly enough to permit the same to be styled while in place. It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved means for securing wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head, which means will afford the user increased comfort. It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved method of securing wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head of the user. These and other objects will be apparent from the disclosure set forth hereinafter and the drawings appended hereto and forming a part of said disclosure.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are accomplished with a novel article of manufacture which may or may not be used in combination with previously known means to secure wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head and with a method of using said improved article. In a first embodiment of the invention the novel article of manufacture will be a laminated or similar structure comprising, as an essential component thereof, at least one layer capable of forming a bond directly with the hair. In a second embodiment of the invention, the novel article of manufacture will be a layered or tubular structure formed of an elastic fabric of resilient material,

which structure will comprise at least one slit therein for securing the same to the head. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the novel article of manufacture will be a layered or tubular structure fashioned such that a dominant portion, and most preferably all, of the exposed surfaces comprise a material capable of forming a bond with both the hair of the user and the hair of the hair piece. As will be apparent from the disclosure set forth hereinafter, the novel articles of manufacture of this invention may assume virtually any shape. Strips and bands, are, however, preferred, since these offer greater flexibility in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with a portion cut-away to expose the interior, of a laminated structure within the scope of one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the laminated structure shown in FIG. 1 and taken along line 2 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hair piece securing band having build-up pads thereon;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, with a portion cut-away to expose the interior, of a sleeve-style" band for securing hair pieces within the scope of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the .sleeve-like band shown in FIG. d;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting ring within the scope of the present invention; H

FIG. '7 is a perspective view, with a portion cut-away to expose the interior, of a hair piece mounting pad within the scope of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a hair piece which may be secured to the head of the user in accordance with the present invention; l l

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a band,.such as that illustrated in FIG. 6, is positioned on the head for purposes of securing a hair piece such as a cascade, fall, or the like;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a pad, such as that shown in. FIG. 7, is secured to the head of the user;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the manner in which 'a band, such as that illustrated in FIG. I, is secured to the head of the wearer;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a hair piece, such as a cascade, is secured to a band such as that illustrated in FIG. 1; I

FIG. 13 is a perspective. view showing a completed hair style using the securing means illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a band such as that illustrated in FIG. 3 is secured to the head;

FIG. is a perspective view showing another manner in which a band such as that shown in FIG. 1 may be secured to the head; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a band such as that illustrated in FIG. 4 is positioned on the head for purposes of securing a full wig.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Broadly, the present invention relates to an improved means for securing or anchoring wigs, wiglets and similar hair pieces to the head and to a method of using such means. In a first embodiment, the means for securing the hair piece will be a laminated, tubular or sleeve-like structure comprising, on at least a portion of its exposed surface, a material capable of forming a bond directly with the hair of the user. The means may take virtually any shape, such as a band, ring pad or cap. In use, the bonding surface will be contacted directly with the hair of the user. As will be apparent from the disclosure set forth hereinafter, the means and method of this embodiment will distribute the weight of the hair piece over a broader area than has been possible, heretofore, and hence, will greatly enhance the comfort of the user. Moreover, with the hair piece secured by a large plurality of bonds over a large area, the hair piece will be held firmly enough to permit styling of the same while in place.

In a second embodiment, the means for securing the hair piece will be a flat, tubular or sleeve-like structure which may take essentially any shape such as in the case of the first described embodiment. The means of this embodiment may be fashioned from essentially any material, but an elastic or resilient material will be preferred, and will comprise at least one, and generally a plurality, of slits or similar apertures therein. In use, the means of this embodiment will be secured to the head of the user by pulling a lock of the hair through each of the slits and then pushing the means as closely to the head as is comfortable to the user. As will be apparent from the disclosure set forth hereinafter, this method, although it does not depend upon distribution of the weight of the hair piece over a relatively large area, does afford a great deal of comfort to the user. Moreover, when the lock of hair which is pulled through the slit and then tufted is sufficiently large, the hair piece will be held firmly enough to permit styling thereof when in place. i

In both embodiments of the present invention, the hair piece may be secured to the aforedescribed means in several ways. For example, the hair piece may be secured to said means with conventional securing means such as pins, clips and the like. It should be noted, however, that when these means are employed, they may be positioned in a manner such that the free ends will not contact the scalp so as to scrap or cut the same. Moreover, when laminated or filled structures are employed as the holding means, the free ends of these devices may be embedded therein, thus avoiding any possible discomfort as a result of their use. It is, however, preferred that the holding means of this invention comprise a surface capable of forming a bond with the hair of the hair piece or with a corresponding bonding material positioned in the base of the hair piece. This latter method of securing a hair piece to a previously positioned anchoring means is, of course, known in the prior art and has been described and illustrated in such U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,385,305 which issued May 28, 1968 and 3,476,122 which issued Nov. 4, I969.

The present invention will be readily understood by reference to the appended drawing. Referring then to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a holding means 10 within the scope of a first embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the holding means is a flexible, laminated structure in the shape of a band approximately one inch in width, comprising: an inner layer 1 of a material which will form a bond with the hair of the user; a central layer 2 of a filler material; an outer layer 3 of a material which will form a bond with either the hair of the hair piece or a corresponding bonding material fixed to the hair piece; and a small strip of bonding material 4 for securing the free ends 5 and 6 of the band together. Essentially any adhesive may be used to form the laminate of the present invention. It is, however, preferred that the adhesive employed exhibit some degree of flexibility after curing such that the resulting, laminated structure may be easily shaped and placed on the head of the user. Moreover, it is to be understood that the layers may also be held in place by sewing a seam along the lateral edges.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, both the inner layer 1 and the outer layer 3 comprise a plurality of resilient, U- shaped members 7 projecting outwardly from a strip of fabric 8. The U-shaped members are sized such that they will form bonds with thread-like loops of the hair and are disposed along the fabric strip 8 in a number sufficient to provide a firm bond when placed in the hair of the user. In a preferred embodiment, both the inner and outer layer will be a strip of Velcro tape. It will, of course, be appreciated that although the present invention is illustrated as having a continuous inner and outer layer capable of forming a bond with the hair, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a structure having an interrupted or broken bonding layer. In this regard, it should be noted that increased comfort will be afforded simply by securing the band to the head with bonding surfaces such as those illustrated in FIG. 2 and that an adequate bond will be .provided when the bonding material comprises less than about 25% of the total surface. The strength of the bond will, however, increase as the number of bonds is increased, and hence, a continuous bonding surface is preferred.

Essentially any material which will provide a resilient backing may be used to form the central layer 2. The foamed, elastic materials such as the poly urethanes and synthetic rubbers will, however, be preferred. The backing or central layer 2 will, then, afford a resilient mounting for means such as bobby pins, hair clips and the like, when used, and will provide bulk, and hence, better contact between the hair of the user and the hair piece when these means are not employed In general, the backing or central layer 2 may be of virtually any thickness but, when used, will preferably range from about one-sixteenth to about one-quarter of an inch, and most preferably will be about one-eighth inch thick.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, it is to be understood that a hair piece may be secured to the head of the user in a manner so as to afford both comfort and a firm bond with a structure comprising only an inner layer 1 and a backing or central layer 2. It will, of course, be appreciated that means such as bobby'pins or the like will be used when the outer layer 3 is omitted. It will, however, be apparent that such means may be positioned such that contact with the scalp is avoided, and hence, such that no discomfort is experienced as a result of such use. The weight of the hair piece will, of course, continue to be distributed over a relatively large area, and hence, there will be no inherent pulling of the hair at isolated points. Similarly, it is within the scope of the present invention to use a structure having only an inner layer 1 or an inner layer 1 and an outer layer 3 disposed in a back-to-back relation. Again, the former structure will be used in combination with bobby pins or the like whereas the latter structure may be used without the need for such devices.

The bonding material 4, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may be fashioned from any material which will bond with the U-shaped members of either the inner layer 1 or the outer layer 3. The thread-like loops used to bond with the Velcro tape will, however, be preferred. In this regard, it should be noted that, in many cases, an adequate bond can be formed merely by forcing the free ends of the inner and outer layer together. Moreover, it should be noted that the free ends may be secured together with means such as bobby pins, clips and the like and that such means must be used when the bond comprises only an inner layer 1. It should also be understood that the band could be used without overlapping the free ends 5 and 6, and that the band 10 could be fashioned as an endless ring, thus eliminating the free ends.

' In use, the holding means 1, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be positioned on the head of the user in a manner such as that illustrated in FIG. 11 or that illustrated in FIG. 15. Referring then to FIG. 11, it can be seen that the hair 11 of the user is pulled away from the area in which the band 10 is to be secured and the band 10 is then contacted with the head and the hair remaining in the contact area worked into the plurality of U shaped hooksto thereby form a firm bond with the inner surface of the inner layer 1. The hair is most easily worked into the U-shaped hooks by lightly rolling the hair over the surface of the hooks with the thumb, however, other methods of thus bonding the hair could be devised and used.

The exact manner in which the band 1 is thus secured is not critical; however, it has been found advantageous to first secure the central portion of band 1 in the neck area at or near the natural hair line so as to hold the hair of the neck upwardly and to then wrap" the free ends of the band toward the front of the head and overlap free ends 5 and 6 on the top of the head. It will, of course, be appreciated that the exact position of the band will vary somewhat depending principally stantially so as to provide a relatively small, circular structure, with most of the hair 11 bunched within the circle (not shown for purposes of clarity) with the remainder of the hair 11 combed outwardly and secured to the surface of outer layer 3. As will be readily apparent, the band 10 will be held firmly in place by bonding a portion of the users hair to both the inner and outer surfaces.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the cascade comprises a base pad 12, which pad carries a bonding material 14 suitable for bonding with the exposed surface of the outer layer 3 of the band 10. In a preferred embodiment, the hair piece will be secured to the head by first placing the base pad 12 such that a portion of the bonding material 14 contacts the exposed surface of outer layer 3. The weight of the hair piece will be further distributed by then curling or otherwise styling the hair thereof, either alone or in combination with the hair of the user such that the hair covers the band 10 to the extent desired and is bonded therewith. As can be seen in FIG. 12, curls 15 and 16 completely cover a portion of the band 10 andare firmly held in place as a result of the bond formed by working the hair of said curls into the U-shaped hooks on the surface of outer layer 3. Both the styling and securing of the hair piece will be completed by forming a plurality of curls, such as those illustrated as 15 and 16, in FIG. 12, or through the for mation of different configurations, or both, such as with ringlets 18-18, as shown in FIG. 13. As can be seen in FIG. 13, the band 10 will be completely hidden with the hair style illustrated in FIG 13. This is, of course, not essential to the present invention and, in fact, it may be desirable, in many cases, to leave a portion of the band 10, exposed to view. In this regard, it should'be noted thatthe band 10 may be provided in any color or color combination which will appeal to the user. 1

Alternatively, a hair piece such :as that shown in FIG.

8, either with or without the bonding material 14, may be secured to the hair 11 of the user, within the band 10 with conventional means such as bobby pins, hair clips or the like and the weight thereof then distributed by bonding the hair to the surface of band 10 in the manner previously described and. illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. Similarly, the band 10 may be positioned on the head such that the bonding material 14 contacts the surface of outer layer 3 over substantially the entire area there of and the hair then secured with conventional means; i.e., bobby pins, hair clips, etc., or with additional strips of a structure such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. Further, it is within the scope of the present invention to secure the base of the hair piece directly to the band 10 with bobby pins and the like and to then secure the curls formed with the hair in the same manner.

As will be readily apparent, theband 10 as previously described could be used to hold the hair of the user and to secure a full wig on the head, simply by positioning said band such that the front thereof is forward of the 1 and 2 comprises: an inner layer 1, having a surface bondable with the hair; a central layer 2; an outer layer 3' which also has a surface which is bondable with the hair; and a strip of bonding material-4' which will be bondable with the surface of either the inner layer 1 or the outer layer 3'. The pads 20-20 may be simply, a block or strap of a resilient material and may be secured to band 10' in any manner. In a preferred embodiment, however, the pads 20-20 will comprise a fabric outer housing 21 filled with resilient material 22 and will be positioned on the band such that equal portions of the pad will be disposed on both the inner and outer sides of the band. The pads 20-20 may also comprise slits or apertures 23-23 for insertion of conventional securing means such as bobby pins and the like which may be used to hold the wig firmly in place.

The scope and nature of the present invention will become even more clearly understood by reference to the remaining Figures wherein a second embodiment thereof is illustrated. Referring then to FIGS. 4 and there is shown an endless band or ring 30 having a sleeve-like structure. The band comprises an outer housing 31 of an elastic fabric and is filled with a resilient material 32 such as cotton or foamed rubber. The band 30 also comprises a plurality of slits 33-33 and may carry a plurality of bonding strips 37-37, positioned between said slits. The band may be, simply, a strip having free ends, or an endless, circular structure as illustrated. The width is, of course, not critical, but the band should be sized so as to fit comfortably on the head and will, in general range between about onehalf to about one and one-half inches in width. The elastic or resilient nature of the materials used in fabrication is, on the other hand, quite important since this will permit said band to be positioned properly on the head of the user in any manner desired and permit the hair to be tufted easly through the slits and at the same time prevent, or at least minimize, any discomfort as a result of pulling.

The band 30 may be used to secure any of the known hair pieces such as cascades, falls, demi-wigs, etc. to

the head. When used to secure a cascade, such as illustrated in FIG. 8, the band 30 will be positioned in a manner such as that illustrated in FIG. 16. As can be seen in FIG. 16 the band is positioned on the head such that the hair 35 is pushed inwardly and is held in place by tufting several locks 36-36 of the hair through slits 33-33. The hair piece may then be secured by any of the methods described supra. It is, however, preferred to secure the hair piece to the band with bonding strips 37-37 in the manner previous described in connection with the use of band 10, when band comprises an outer layer 3.

As has been noted previously, the securing means of the present invention may take essentially any shape, and no attempt will be made herein to exhaustively illustrate the many possible shapes. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the securing means may be shaped as a cap or as a flat band or ring such as that illustrated in FIG. 6. Referring then to FIG. 6, there is shown a securing ring 50 fashioned from two layers 51 and 52 of an elastic fabric and comprising a plurality of slits 53- 53 and a plurality of bonding strips. As illustrated, the ring does not comprise a resilient filler, but this could be added, if desired, so as to provide a more rigid structure. Moreover, the band 50 could easily be fashioned from a single layer of a rigid, elastic or resilient materi- As can be seen in FIG. 9, the ring 50 will be used in substantially the same manner as the previously described band 30, ie., the ring will be positioned so as to hold the hair of the user inwardly and will be held in place by tufting a plurality of locks 54-54 through slits 53-53. Again, it is preferred to secure the hair piece to the band with bonding strips 55-55; however, the hair piece may be secured by any of the methods described, supra. In this regard, it should be noted that when the band 30 or the ring 50 do not comprise a surface, such as strips 37-37 and55-55, respectively, which will form a bond with either the hair of the hair piece or with a mating bonding material, it will be necessary to use bobby pins or the like to secure said hair piece thereto. Again, however, it will be possible to avoid contact with the scalp, and hence, to avoid discomfort as a result of such use.

' A still further variation within the scope of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. As can be seen, the securing'means shown is a pad comprising a housing 61 filled with a resilient material 62 such as cotton or foamed rubber and having a single slit 63 in the center thereof for tufting a lock of hair. In use, a

' lock of hair 64 is pulled through slit 63 and tufted such that pad 60 rests flat on the head of the user, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 10. Though not illustrated, the lock of hair 64 may be taped or otherwise secured flat along the top side of the pad 60. As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the pad 60 will be most useful for securing small hair pieces such as the demi-wigs, which hair pieces may be secured to pad 60 by any of the methods described supra.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention a strap such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 and having both an inner and outer surface formed with a material capable of bonding with the hair such as Velcro tape will be used to form a bond on the head of the user. A hair piece such as that illustrated in FIG. 8 and comprising a mating bonding strip on the base thereof will be secured to the band. To assure maximum distribution of weight, at least a portion of the mating bonding strip will be aligned with and bonded to the band and the hair then'styled or set by securing the same to the exposed, outer layer of the band. In this way, the use of bobby pins and the like will be completely avoided.

Although the present invention has been described by reference to several particular embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill that the invention lends itself to still other variations and modifications. Accordingly, reference should be made solely to the appended claims to determine the scope of the invention.

Having thus described and illustrated the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A layered article for securing hair pieces to the head of the user comprising an inner layer, said inner layer having a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly therefrom, said members being capable of forming a bond with the hair of the user, and an outer layer, said outer layer comprising a fabric having a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly therefrom.

2. The layered article of claim 1 wherein said inner layer and said outer layer are laminated to a resilient central layer.

3. The improved article of claim 1 wherein said resilient, U-shaped bonding members comprise at least about 25 percent of said inner layer.

4. The improved article of claim 1 wherein said resilient, U-shaped bonding members provide a continuous bonding surface.

S. A method of securing hair pieces to the head of the user comprising the steps of: (a) bonding an article for anchoring such hair pieces directly to the head of the user by contacting a surface of said article, said surface comprising a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bond- 

1. A layered article for securing hair pieces to the head of the user comprising an inner layer, said inner layer having a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly therefrom, said members being capable of forming a bond with the hair of the user, and an outer layer, said outer layer comprising a fabric having a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly therefrom.
 2. The layered article of claim 1 wherein said inner layer and said outer layer are laminated to a resilient central layer.
 3. The improved article of claim 1 wherein said resilient, U-shaped bonding members comprise at least about 25 percent of said inner layer.
 4. The improved article of claim 1 wherein said resilient, U-shaped bonding members provide a continuous bonding surface.
 5. A method of securing hair pieces to the head of the user comprising the steps of: (a) bonding an article for anchoring such hair pieces directly to the head of the user by contacting a surface of said article, said surface comprising a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly therefrom, against the head of the user; (b) forming a bond between the resilient, U-shaped bonding members and the hair of the user by working the hair into said bonding members; and (c) then securing the hair piece to said article, said hair piece being secured to said article for anchoring same through a bond formed between a plurality of resilient, U-shaped bonding members extending outwardly from an exposed surface of said article and a mating, thread-like bonding material carried by said hair piece. 